Masaya Sakurai is a second-year student at Fudomine Middle School and a member of the school's tennis team. He is primarily a doubles specialist, recognized for his powerful topspin shots and his ability to adapt quickly to any partner on the court. His regular doubles partner is Tetsu Ishida, and together they form a key pairing for Fudomine. Sakurai is considered the next captain of the team, indicating that he is viewed as a reliable and level-headed player with leadership potential. He has brown hair and his favorite food is tonkotsu ramen. In the story, Sakurai and Ishida face the Seishun Academy pair of Shusuke Fuji and Takashi Kawamura during the district tournament preliminaries. That match ends prematurely due to an injury Kawamura sustains from one of Ishida's powerful shots, resulting in a forfeit. Sakurai's role is that of a supportive and technically sound doubles player whose steady style complements Ishida's aggressive power game. He appears primarily in the earlier arcs of the series and later makes minor appearances in the national tournament and subsequent events. His development is subtle, focusing on his growth as a player capable of partnering effectively with various teammates and stepping into a future leadership role. His notable ability is his consistent and forceful topspin, which he uses to control rallies and set up his partner's attacks.